Amsterdam police warn of fresh calls for unrest a day after rioters torch tram

A senior police officer has warned of calls for more rioting in Amsterdam, after dozens of people armed with sticks and firecrackers set a tram on fire on Monday night amid tensions in the city following violence last week targeting fans of an Israeli football club.

Olivier Dutilh, of the Amsterdam police force, told a court hearing on Tuesday that “we have signals that there are calls for similar” unrest in the west of the city.

Police said the fire on Monday was quickly extinguished and riot officers cleared the square.

Images online showed people damaging property and setting firecrackers. There were no reports of any injuries.

Police said it was not clear who started the unrest and whether it was related to what happened last week. Some rioters could be heard on video shared on social media using slurs against Jewish people.

Police noted a tense atmosphere since five people were treated in hospital and dozens detained following the Maccabi Tel Aviv-Ajax match on Thursday.

Youths on scooters and on foot went in search of Israeli fans, punching and kicking them and then fleeing to evade police, according to Amsterdam’s mayor, Femke Halsema.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators were banned by local authorities from gathering outside the stadium.

Before the match, Maccabi fans also tore a Palestinian flag off a building in Amsterdam and chanted anti-Arab slogans on their way to the stadium. There were also reports of Maccabi fans starting fights.

Dutch police announced five new arrests on Monday in their investigation into the earlier violence.

The suspects are men aged 18 to 37 and are from Amsterdam or surrounding cities. Four are still in custody; the fifth has been released but remains a suspect.

Earlier, police said four other males who were arrested last week will remain in custody while the investigation continues. Two are minors – a 16-year old and a 17-year old from Amsterdam – and the other two men are from Amsterdam and a nearby city.

Officers said they have identified more than 170 witnesses and have taken forensic evidence from dozens.

Prime Minister Dick Schoof said they are also examining videos posted to social media.

He was meeting with community leaders on Tuesday afternoon to discuss antisemitism.

Reports of antisemitic speech, vandalism and violence have been on the rise in Europe since the start of the war in the Gaza Strip, and tensions mounted in Amsterdam ahead of Thursday night’s match.

The mayor has banned all demonstrations in the city and declared several parts of Amsterdam risk zones where police can stop and check anyone.

Dozens of people were detained on Sunday for taking part in a pro-Palestinian demonstration in central Amsterdam that had been outlawed.

A small demonstration outside Amsterdam City Hall on Tuesday during a debate about the unrest was ended by police, Dutch broadcaster NOS reported.